Chapter 101: Clear Weather Day Chapter 80: It Was Never Meant to Enter the World

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Protagonist:

Shaowei

Liu Qi

The Nine Ministries and Nine Temples of Chang'an are distributed inside and outside the Imperial Palace according to their functions.

The Guanglu Temple, responsible for palace guards; the Taipu Temple, managing imperial horses and horse administration; the Weiwei Mansion, commanding the Southern Forbidden Army; the Zongzheng Temple, handling royal clan affairs; and the Shaofu Office, overseeing imperial finances and the royal household's internal needs — these five temples, due to their close ties to the imperial court, are established within the Palace City.

Meanwhile, the Tingwei Mansion, the Taichang Temple, and others have their offices located outside the Imperial Palace.

Even so, the newly arrived Wu Zhe Nu Shi cannot enter the Taichang Temple directly; they are first placed in the "Shen Ci" under the Taichang Temple's jurisdiction to learn rules and rites, and only later assigned to various posts.

The Great Qian Shrine lies in the south of the city, facing the Xian Tai Gong in the north from a distance.

The Shrine's construction dates back to the previous dynasty; after the founding of Great Qian it was merely repaired and expanded. Therefore, compared to the Xian Tai Gong newly built by the current Emperor, the Shrine appears more ancient and mysterious; in terms of immortal bearing and grandeur, however, the Xian Tai Gong surpasses it.

This is the second night since the Wu Zhe entered the capital. Having finished a full day of study, they are now heading toward the living quarters at the very rear of the Shrine.

The group walks in two columns, carrying lamps across a wooden bridge. A Wu Nu in the ranks asks in a low voice: "I wonder which immortals are enshrined inside the Xian Tai Gong?"

A male Wu answers her: "The Xian Tai Gong is a Daogong; naturally it enshrines the Daoist faith's revered deities..."

This whispered exchange earns a cold laugh from the All Around Nü Guan leading the way: "You are all Wu Zhe. If you want to enter the Xian Tai Gong to pay homage, first ask whether the Immortal Masters inside fear you will dirty their Xian Tai."

The questioning Wu Nu is very young; she was merely curious. Hearing the All Around's mocking words so suddenly, her face becomes awkward, and she lowers her head as far as it can go.

The All Around is a subordinate of the Tai Puzhe. The post of Great Wu God Taizu — permanently stationed at the Shrine and in charge of the four seasonal sacrifices — has been vacant for many years. Precisely because of this, the Wu Zhe's influence has dwindled further, while the Dao Sect led by the Xian Tai Gong has grown ever more prestigious.

Because of the All Around's words, the crowd begins to murmur softly. Shaowei, dressed in colorful robes, walks among the ranks without a word, only listening.

Before entering the capital, Shaowei had already done the necessary homework at the Wuling Commandery Prince's Mansion, so she naturally understands the differences between the Xian Tai Gong and the Shrine.

The Shrine has existed in every dynasty since ancient times. The Xian Tai Gong was built because the founding Empress of Great Qian began to revere Immortal Arts; her son Liu Shu — the current Emperor — was deeply influenced, and later became obsessed with pursuing methods of longevity, leading to the construction of this palace.

The Shrine has always been managed by the Great Wu God Taizu; the master of the Xian Tai Gong is a person of the Dao Sect. One is Wu, one is Dao. The former belongs to the Taichang Temple; the latter stands independent of the Nine Ministries, answering only to the Son of Heaven.

Their origins differ, and the Ways they uphold are also different. The Daoist faith generally advocates following nature. Though it performs divination for emperors, it only seeks appropriate change under the guidance of Heaven's will, and does not endorse acting against the natural order.

The Wu Zhe, by contrast, place greater weight on human affairs and the Human Emperor's will. They believe in all manner of ghosts, spirits, and monsters, observe no taboos, and have very low principles. Consequently, they have given rise to many incidents that even emperors cannot control — Wu Gu curse techniques repeatedly cause calamity. After the previous Great Wu God used curse arts to plot against Crown Prince Liu Gu, the Ren Emperor came to loathe Wu Gu curse techniques to the extreme. He strictly forbade Gu poison and Wu curses, permitting the Wu Zhe only to perform sacrificial rites to entertain the gods, prevent epidemics, and dispense medicine.

This invisibly suppressed the Wu Zhe's prestige and status. Many Daoists in the Xian Tai Gong pride themselves on their immortal bearing and gradually regard the Wu Zhe as an unorthodox wind.

But the Emperor is undoubtedly contradictory. The Ren Emperor chases the Dao Sect's longevity and immortality methods on one hand, yet cannot truly abandon the other possibilities the Wu Zhe can bring — whether for the Dragon Body or the state's fortune.

The All Around's words just now inevitably stir resentment among the Wu Zhe toward the Xian Tai Gong. Precisely because the Shrine currently lacks a Great Wu God to hold the fort, the Xian Tai Gong considers itself superior in every respect — truly arrogant.

Walking among them, Shaowei feels distinctly like an undercover traitor. After all, strictly speaking, she studied Dao learning under Jiang Fu.

However, Jiang Fu himself acts unrestrained, advocating following one's heart. Moreover, Dao learning and Wu arts already have points of fusion — for instance, during the Nuo Ritual nowadays, Daoist deities are also worshipped.

Rigidly adhering to one side only binds one's hands and feet. Shaowei treats this like eating: only by taking a bite of everything can one grow tall and strong.

After all, she did not come to promote anything, nor is she acting for the sake of an absolute "right." She came to kill.

Not going to the noble Xian Tai Gong, but choosing to come here as a Wu Zhe, is merely a practical calculation of pros and cons. Shaowei's fate-physiognomy arts are only mediocre; she cannot become a top-tier Daoist. Moreover, the Xian Tai Gong is Chiyang's territory. If she rashly barged in, she would be strangled before she even showed her face.

Going to the Xian Tai Gong would be like this; taking any other ordinary path would be no different. Whether as slave, servant, official, or clerk — as long as one is a "person," life and death hang on Chiyang's single word. As the house slave said, the other party possesses the power of gods and ghosts, and can use it to kill "people" at will.

Therefore, she is destined not to be a "person." She must also possess something similar to Chiyang, become a ghost or god, in order to overcome and kill ghosts and gods.

Entering the capital as a Wu Zhe is Shaowei's best choice. Walking between light and shadow as a Wu Zhe, taking root and growing rapidly here, unrestricted by rules and methods — only thus can she quickly lay down a ghost-slaying formation for that honored Immortal Master inside the Xian Tai Gong.

As the Wu Zhe walk, their pearls, stones, bells, and pendants chime. Shaowei treads to this ding-dong sound, half her body submerged in the gloom, and turns her head to look north.

The Xian Tai Gong, sitting at the true north of Chang'an City, is brightly lit at this moment, incense mist swirling, like a true immortal palace.

On the Star Gazing Platform, a black-clad figure stands motionless. The person gazes at the night curtain. Beneath snow-white eyelids, a pair of light-colored pupils reflects a locked-on, twinkling star.

The stars have shifted — this is clearly an omen of Heaven's secrets entering the world.

The initial subtle change: to glimpse it in time, only two people under heaven can do so, and that is by mastering his sect's secret star-observing art to its utmost.

"Shixiong, it was never meant to enter the world. Silent extinction is its destiny." Chiyang's low mutter carries a hint of mockery: "Your compassion and pity have always been useless — merely pushing it onto an even more cruel path of extinction... This time will be no exception."

"Shixiong, you and I might as well wait and see."

On the Star Gazing Platform, the black cloak flaps in the wind, merging into the night.

In the rearmost chamber of the Xian Tai Gong, Ming Dan is opening a bamboo box that Feng Xu just had people deliver today.

Overjoyed, she takes out the new clothes and new jewelry inside, runs to the mirror to try them on, and the mirror repeatedly reflects the girl's delighted, beaming face.

But when she tries the last one, the face in the mirror suddenly looks a bit disappointed.

Hugging the pile of garments, Ming Dan throws them onto the bed. She feels that no matter how beautiful these clothes and ornaments are, she will have no chance to wear them out. She can only wear them privately; daily she must still don the same blue-gray skirts as those people — truly a letdown.

It has been two years since she entered the Xian Tai Gong. Ming Dan no longer feels the same joy in this blue-gray clothing as she did at first. She increasingly feels this Xian Tai Gong is a cage, trapped day after day in this cramped space, doing the same tedious things — simply a kind of torment.

She begins to boldly yearn for the bustling liveliness outside. Unfortunately, she must endure two more years.

As Ming Dan complains in her heart, she imagines the scene of acknowledging her ancestors and returning to her clan two years later. For a moment she is both excited and uneasy.

Last time "Uncle" Feng Xu came to see her, he said her "Mother" recently seems to show some signs of improvement. Though still confused and muddled, she no longer loses control as frequently as before.

Hearing this, Ming Dan is naturally uneasy inside, but on the surface she must feign delight. She hurriedly asks Feng Xu whether Mother's Eight Characters of Birth can be brought over — she wants to pray for Mother in the Xian Tai Gong so Mother can recover soon.

Feng Xu treats her very kindly, always granting her requests. When they "recognized each other" in Donglai Commandery, this gentle uncle never doubted her, and always made her feel very secure.

Thinking of this, Ming Dan hurries back to the bamboo box, crouches down to rummage, and sure enough finds a roll of silk. Unfolding it, she sees a set of Eight Characters written on it — undoubtedly Feng Zhu's.

Ming Dan stares at the Eight Characters in her hand, her gaze conflicted and uncertain.

What she learns in this Xian Tai Gong is all orthodox Dao learning. Talismans and such are at most used to suppress evil spirits. There is nothing that can harm a living person's life.

Ming Dan's eyes shift. She thinks of the Wu Zhe in the Shrine. It is said those people excel at the unspeakable Wu Gu curse arts...

But how can she find someone there to do something for her?

Moreover, once such a thing is discovered, privately she would be suspected of her origins by the Feng Family; legally it is a capital crime punishable by beheading.

Ming Dan thinks back and forth, but ultimately cannot make up her mind. She can only put the roll of silk away for now.

She put the silk into her vanity box while complaining in her heart: back then Feng Zhu had clearly been injured so badly, why could she still survive, and live like a madwoman besides? The real daughter had long since died; living alone was nothing but torture, tormenting herself and making everyone around her anxious...

At that moment, the night wind suddenly made the window rattle softly, Ming Dan was startled, feeling uneasy in her heart, suddenly thinking of something, she hurriedly took out a bundle of paper money someone had brought back yesterday, picked up a copper basin, and ran to the empty back of the house.

She lit the fuel in the basin, threw the paper money into the fire basin, and muttered words under her breath: "You take this paper money, quickly go reincarnate—that's the proper thing; in your next life you might be born into a good family..."

She had not finished speaking when a cold wind swept in, making the flames flare wildly; Ming Dan cried out and fell backward onto the ground, hurriedly shaking the flames off her skirt, but once the flames were shaken off, she saw her brand-new dress had been burned through with a hole, feeling both heartache and fear at once, she quickly ran away from the place.

Ming Dan ran while thinking, she would clean it up when daylight came anyway; the excuse she gave when asking someone to bring the paper money was that she wanted to offer sacrifices to her foster mother.

She also thought, this evil ghost was truly ungrateful! Or was it that this evil ghost's cultivation was truly profound to a certain degree, even able to sense her thoughts of wanting to harm Feng Zhu? But she only thought about it, she never actually did it!

Ming Dan's heart pounded, and she dared not put out the lamp all night.

And Shaowei, whom she called an evil ghost, left the shrine that night, truly leaping soundlessly into the night like a black ghost shadow of profound cultivation.

The shrine was to the south, and Shaowei took Zhan Zhan further south to explore.

On the day before entering the city, when Shaowei stayed overnight at the post station, she obtained a piece of silk cloth with a simple, crude map drawn on it; fortunately the map covered a small area, going southwest from the shrine, about twenty or thirty li, was the endpoint shown on the map.

Traveling twenty or thirty li at night was naturally no problem for Shaowei. But searching the streets and alleys while avoiding the patrolling soldiers at night truly took a lot of time; although Shaowei had lived in Chang'an City, she had almost never gone out, and was far from familiar with the city, now like a true outsider cat, cautiously and vigilantly groping forward in the night.

However, she had to leave time to return to the shrine, so that night Shaowei only roughly explored the route, then hurried back in time, planning to go again the next night.

After returning to the back of the shrine, Shaowei climbed a tall old tree, lightly stepped on the tree trunk, and leaped toward the high top of the wall.

The tree and the wall were separated by no short distance; even with some skill, it was hard to jump across, and besides, the top of the wall was high and narrow, testing not only skill but also courage.

In the dark night, Shaowei crouched soundlessly and lightly on the top of the wall like a true civet cat, but did not hurry to slide into the courtyard.

After a moment, Shaowei stood up, walked quickly along the top of the wall, and climbed onto a high pavilion roof.

She lay on one side of the roof, poked half her head out from behind the roof ridge, and looked toward the brightly lit center of Chang'an City.

She could not tell which cluster of lights came from the Lu Hou Fu, but she knew the Lu Hou Fu was among them.

The night wind in the first month was still as cold and sharp as a knife; Shaowei lay on the high pavilion roof and watched for a good while.

Those lights were the grandest place in Chang'an City besides the Imperial Palace; the houses looked very high, the firelight looked very warm, Mother lived there, surely everything was fine now?

Zhan Zhan did not know what Shaowei was looking at; curiously crawling from her shoulder onto her head, it looked at that cluster of lights together with her.

Shaowei, with the plump little bird on her head, watched for a while longer, then plunged into the black night.

The next day, when the heavy night fell again, Shaowei turned over on the bed, saw the other two Wu Nu were already asleep, and so got up soundlessly from the bed. Before leaving, just like last night, she casually threw two antidote pills into the charcoal basin.

With last night's experience, Shaowei's actions this time were smoother; according to the silk cloth, she finally came to a place where the lights were very sparse, and looking around, several houses were low and old, and all around there was an inexplicably gloomy and eerie atmosphere.

Shaowei explored house by house, her body shape rising and falling in the night, finally stopping her steps before a small courtyard with a piece of coarse hemp paper pasted on its courtyard gate.

Afraid of going to the wrong place and disturbing a stranger's home, Shaowei did not rudely knock on the door, but tactfully climbed over the wall to enter.

The instant her foot touched the ground, Shaowei smelled a scent of rice and dishes.

She almost did not hesitate, immediately running toward the stove house with the firelight on.

She no longer concealed her footsteps, so soon a gray figure also walked out of the stove house, holding a fire stick blackened halfway, standing at the stove house door looking over.

The next moment, another shadow squeezed out of the stove house; seeing Shaowei, he immediately said: "Young Master, the meal will be ready soon!"

Looking at Mo Li, who seemed utterly unaware of the passage of time, Shaowei vaguely felt an illusion that they had never been separated; she subconsciously looked toward the Tang Wu, even feeling that Jiang Fu would stretch lazily and walk out slowly from inside the next moment, complaining about why she had come back so late.

This absent-mindedness lasted only an instant; the next moment, Shaowei hurriedly asked: "Where is Qing Niu?"